EUROPE
LAND
25 Jan 17. Cohort, the independent technology group, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary MASS has been selected to deliver the Metropolitan Police Service’s (‘MPS’) digital forensics managed service. Confirmation of the final contract terms will now take place and signing of the contract will be subject to this reaching a successful conclusion. The contract is expected to have a seven-year duration and a value (relating to the services delivered to the MPS) of approximately £15m, with the option to extend for a further three years. The contract is available to other police forces within the UK, which provides the possibility to increase the contract value during the 7+3 year term to a national potential value of approximately £230m.
26 Jan 17. General Dynamics European Land Systems has been awarded a contract to deliver a fifth batch of additional PIRANHA III 8×8 wheeled armored vehicles to the Romanian Armed Forces. The vehicle supply contract, signed on December 30, 2016, is part of the Romanian Army’s plan to modernize its legacy wheeled armored vehicle fleet. PIRANHA vehicles have been successfully in service with the Romanian Armored Forces since 2006 and have proven its capabilities in various missions in country and abroad.
SEA
23 Jan 17. The European Council has extended the mandate for European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) – Operation ATALANTA – until 31 December 2018, which means Cohort company MASS will continue to provide the Classified Mission Network for the enduring Operation. Operation ATALANTA was launched in December 2008 to contribute to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast. The operation also protects vessels of the World Food Programme and other vulnerable shipping, monitors fishing activities off the coast of Somalia and supports other EU missions and programmes in the region. MASS provides the core operational mission network for the effective command and control of this multi-national Operation both ashore and afloat. This advanced capability enables secure transmission of classified information over the open internet helping all users to achieve optimum access and connectivity wherever they are operating.
23 Jan 17. Rolls-Royce will supply MTU diesel engines for six new search and rescue vessels to be built by Damen Shipyards and operated by the Turkish Coastguard. Damen Shipyards has been awarded a contract by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Ankara to build the vessels which will each feature two 8-cylinder MTU Series 2000 engines. The boats will support ongoing operations to rescue migrants and refugees from crisis areas along the Turkish coast. They are designed to be self-righting, should they capsize, the MTU engines will keep on running even in the extreme event that the vessel completes a full 360° vertical roll around its longitudinal axis. The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. The six new vessels will be built by Damen Shipyards Antalya with the first delivery expected in May 2017 and the remainder by the end of the year. The vessels are designed and equipped to operate as lifeboats, and the aluminium hull is based on Damen’s Axe-Bow technology. The MTU 8V 2000 M84L engines enable a top speed of 33 knots for search and rescue operations. (Source: ASD Network)
26 Jan 17. Rolls-Royce has been picked to supply propulsion to two new 40-meter Italian Navy special forces crafts, the firm said on Wednesday. The two vessels, which are being built by Italy’s Intermarine, form part of a massive, 5.4bn Euro fleet-renewal program now underway at the Italian Navy. The two vessels, known by the acronym UNPAV, which are eight meters wide, will be powered by three MTU 2000 series diesel engines connecting to three Kamewa S4 water jets, the firm said. The vessels will be used for maritime traffic control, to combat human trafficking, for counter-terror and anti-